Stars and Other Things
by zeppelins ghost
Summary: Years in the future, two friends are prompted into a discussion about who they are to each other. A/H


_Have you looked up lately?  
Have you seen the stars?  
The night isn't nearly as dark  
as it used to be._

"I hear your brother beat you to the punch."

Artemis turned from his desk to the voice behind him. An elf appeared from seemingly nowhere and let herself fall roughly into the armchair by the window, wings fluttering slowly until they were still. Artemis put a hand under his chin, leaning against the back of his desk chair.

"To beat me, one would assume I was in the game in the first place." Artemis stated, a small smile tugging at his lips as he watched the elf get comfortable. Holly, for of course it was her, removed her wings and placed them gently on the floor. She bent her legs up into her chest and pushed herself deep into the cushions.

"What, you don't have any desire at all to pass on the Fowl family name?" Holly tilted her head, though she assumed she knew the answer. Artemis shrugged.

"Myles is already doing that for me. I assume Beckett will eventually produce heirs as well." Artemis smirked. "In any case, I was taken off the most eligible bachelors list a few years ago. It's the age, I think." He looked down at his free hand, which had gained a few lines and wrinkles over the years. Holly stared absently, too, at the human's hands.

"You're not that old." She said firmly, though her voice was soft. Artemis scoffed.

"I'm 39, Holly. Practically middle aged – for a human – and well beyond my youthful bachelor days. Even my mother has given up, though I suppose there are a small few that would like to seduce me for my fortune alone." He leaned forward in his chair and tapped a foot on the Persian rug beneath his feet. He couldn't help but see the glint in the elf's eyes.

"Most humans would be married by now... I have a feeling you've never really given anyone a chance." Holly gave him a knowing look and a smile that was almost convincing. Artemis sighed and turned back around to his laptop.

"You know why I haven't." He said, just barely above a whisper. But Holly caught it, nonetheless. She frowned, looking at the man's back and studying the curve of his shoulders.

"Artemis..."

"Holly."

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, the quiet air practically screaming around them. It was Holly who broke the rigid silence.

"We both know what can and can't happen between us, Arty." She crossed the short distance between them and pushed herself up onto the empty area of the desk. Artemis sat up straighter as he turned his gaze to her.

"I have no misconceptions about... what we are, Holly. There is just the one small issue that any potential partner would... pale in comparison to you." His expression was light, like the weight of his words were nonexistent, like this truth had always been there, which, quite honestly, it had. "It wouldn't be fair to said hypothetical partner. It wouldn't be fair to me, for that matter." He paused for a moment. "I would also like to bring attention to the fact that you don't date either."

"That- that's entirely different." Holly defended, caught off guard by the accusation, however true it was. "I'm busy, and I have almost a millennium left of my life. Not the mention, our friendship tends to put a strain on any relationships I've attempted." She placed a fist by her legs on the desk as Artemis turned back to the glowing screen of his laptop.

"I wonder why that is." Artemis said, not entirely sure if it had been to himself or aloud. He figured it was the latter as a hand smacked his shoulder. Holly sighed.

"You know I love you, Artemis." Holly said, to which the human raised an eyebrow. She rolled her eyes. "Don't look at me like that; this isn't news to you." She crossed her arms and Artemis lightly put a hand on her cheek.

"You know I would never ask more of you." Artemis looked deeply into her eyes as she leaned into his touch. She returned the gaze with forlorn eyes.

"I've given you more pieces of myself than I ever thought I would, and I don't regret that... but, Artemis," Holly placed her hand over his and lowered it from her face, "you're giving up an entire life, an entire future, for someone you can't have; someone who will live far beyond your lifetime." She looked at him with pleading eyes, but he just smiled. It reached his eyes and more.

"This friendship, this strange relationship we have, it feels far from a sacrifice." Artemis reached up to her neck and pulled her down to him. He pressed his lips lightly to her forehead, holding it for only a second, though it felt like infinitely more. When he pulled away, Holly laughed.

"Who would have thought Artemis Fowl would be listening to his heart over his brain."

"Technically, emotions are also produced in the brain. It's a chemical process-" Artemis was stopped by a thump to his for head. He nodded. "I may have deserved that." Holly shook her head, but laced her fingers with his as she did so and turned her eyes to the moon that rested boldly in the corner of the window. She smiled to herself as Artemis held his gaze on his best friend. They sat there for a moment, just feeling each-others presence, before Holly released a breath.

"So, Myles is engaged." She stated casually. Artemis nodded, though he knew Holly's eyes were not on him.

"Myles is engaged." He responded, absently tracing a circle onto Holly's hand with his thumb. "I'll be an uncle soon enough."

"That's weird."

"Yeah."

Artemis breathed in, taking in the view of the moonlight glowing against Holly's skin. Her eyes shone brightly: one hazel, one blue. _She truly is magical,_ thought Artemis. The elf could feel his stare, but continued to gaze out of the window, only holding his hand tighter. Neither of them believed in destiny. Neither of them put much faith in the alignment of the stars. Somewhere inside, however, they both knew that the universe had thrown them together for a reason. For a brief moment, they believed in the stars that had aligned for them.

 _Have you seen us lately?  
Have you looked in my eyes?  
My mind isn't nearly as dark  
as it used to be._

* * *

 **Did you catch the quote from TLG?**

 **Thanks for reading! Reviews are always welcome.**


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